MY ACCOUNT
John Herdman insists his Canada side will have “no fear” when going up against powerhouses Belgium and Croatia at the 2022 World Cup.
Canada last appeared at the World Cup in 1986, where they lost all three games without scoring a single goal.
However, Canada have been rejuvenated by talented youngsters such as Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Lille forward Jonathan David.
Under Herdman’s tutelage, Canada finished top of the CONCACAF standings.
Regardless of Canada’s quality, though, it will be tough sledding against nations with such storied histories.
Belgium hold the crown for most successful World Cup qualifications without winning the tournament out of any European side, making their 14th appearance, while Croatia made the final in 2018, going down 4-2 to France.
Speaking after finding out Canada’s draw, Herdman insisted his side would find the line between having no fear, without being naive.
“We wanted those type of games,” said Herdman, who will become the first coach to take charge of a team at both the men’s and women’s World Cups.
“You go into a World Cup, there are no easy matches and I think any team can beat any team on a given day. That’s just tournament football.
“We’ll be at our best when we rely on our grit and spirit, and then to bring that ‘no fear’ [mentality].
“For us, there will be a ‘no fear’ mentality – not naive, but no fear coming into this. Just see the opportunity to pioneer for this country and get after scoring that first goal for Canada at a World Cup.”
Herdman also preached what a valuable chance it will be for some of his players to shine on the biggest stage.
“The opportunity that exists in these types of games, against the best players in the world,” he said.
“Players like Alistair Johnston, Kamal Miller, and Jonathan Osorio, Canadian boys get the chance to match themselves [against them], but also tell a story in those games.
“Belgium, we know their quality [with] players like [Kevin] De Bruyne and [Romelu] Lukaku and what they’ve done on the international stage. And then the Croatians, who four years ago were [World Cup] finalists.
“I mean, this is what we want – we want that underdog story.”
When analysing the group, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez called Canada “the hidden surprise”.
“It’s a group that is very interesting, and you have to go into detail to see the nations we will be facing are completely different,” he said.
“Morocco for us, we have a real attachment from a football point of view, players that could play for both nationalities, have strong feelings, and then Canada is the hidden surprise.
“A strong team that hasn’t been in a major tournament for 36 years, so there is that unknown quality, but they’re very dangerous.
“It’s a celebration, they will arrive here full of energy, full of belief, full of commitment and you have to find a way to challenge that like we did against Panama in 2018.
“Then you have Croatia, who finished second in 2018, and have probably got players playing in the most demanding teams around Europe, playing at the highest level at a real consistency. So the group is as versatile as you can find.”
